Via Aurelia and Oracle Park

Mission Rock Isn’t Just a Development. It’s a Dining Bet

10 Minute read

03 Apr 2026

Adrian Spinelli

Journalist

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The area around Oracle Park is emerging as one of San Francisco’s most closely watched waterfront developments, with restaurants like Via Aurelia signaling a shift in the city’s dining scene.

With Oracle Park glowing just beyond the windows, Mayor Daniel Lurie stood in the middle of Via Aurelia’s dining room, surrounded by more than 200 guests. At the restaurant’s opening party, the scene underscored what this latest arrival signals for Mission Rock, a waterfront development rapidly emerging as one of the city’s most closely watched dining corridors.

“This part of Mission Bay is on fire,” Lurie said, toasting David Nayfeld and Matt Brewer and the continued growth of their Back Home Hospitality group. Best known for Che Fico, the pair have expanded with Che Fico Pizzeria near the Chase Center at Thrive City, and now Via Aurelia, their most ambitious project to date.

The stretch of waterfront adjacent to Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, is known as Mission Rock, a newly realized neighborhood development along McCovey Cove. More than a decade in the making, the project is a partnership between the Giants, the Port of San Francisco, and developer Tishman Speyer. Anchored by Visa’s global headquarters, Mission Rock brings together residential, retail, and commercial spaces alongside China Basin Park, a five-acre waterfront green space designed to host concerts and large-scale events. That momentum is increasingly reflected in the caliber of dining concepts the development is attracting.

Where Mission Rock Starts to Feel Real

In 2025, Mission Rock welcomed the largest location yet of Arsicault Bakery, whose croissants have earned a reputation among the city’s best. Here, the expanded footprint eases the long lines that define its original Clement Street shop. Across Maya Angelou Lane, Flour + Water Pizza Shop brings a casual, slice-focused counterpart to the Flour + Water group from chefs Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow. Its four-day fermented crusts and tight menu of pies and sides make it a natural stop before a game or along the waterfront.

Closest to the stadium gates, Quik Dog is the latest concept from Josh Harris and Nick Amano-Dolan of Trick Dog, a North America’s 50 Best Bars fixture. The counter-service format is split between a family-friendly luncheonette and a sports bar with a serious cocktail program, separated by a glass partition. The menu centers on the group’s signature hot dog-style burgers and fries, alongside staples like the iconic kale salad. Positioned steps from the ballpark, it is primed as a pre-game destination while still functioning as an all-day neighborhood spot.

A Restaurant Betting on Something Bigger

Of all the new eateries at Mission Rock, none have invested more fully in the development’s potential than David Nayfeld and Matt Brewer with Via Aurelia. While the horseshoe bar, positioned with direct views into Oracle Park, lends itself to pre-game dining, the restaurant’s ambitions extend well beyond game day. Rather than relying on stadium traffic alone, Via Aurelia operates as a destination restaurant, engaging with the surrounding architecture and waterfront setting. The 216-seat space includes a main dining room with Bay views, a weatherized patio along the water, and two private dining rooms, marking the most ambitious and upscale concept in the Back Home Hospitality portfolio and a long-term bet on San Francisco’s continued evolution.

“We spent a long time trying to get comfortable with the idea of SF’s future and whether it would keep going down a downtrodden path,” Nayfeld says. “At some point, Matt and I had to take a leap of faith on whether we believe in the city long term over the next two to three decades.”

Nayfeld and Brewer had been considering the project since 2019, when, following an appearance on The Atlantic’s podcast, Larry Baer, CEO of the San Francisco Giants, named Che Fico as his favorite restaurant in the city. He later visited the restaurant and introduced them to the Mission Rock development, then still a parking lot, before inviting them to review the project’s master plan.

“We were a year old at that point and had no idea what was ahead of us,” Nayfeld says. “The relationship started that night and we kept in contact. After the pandemic put things on ice, the conversation started to come alive again and we were interested in discussing it, but it was dark times in SF for a minute. Ultimately, the major ‘put your money where your mouth is’ moment was signing this agreement to open this blockbuster restaurant.”

Building a Restaurant, Building a Neighborhood

Nayfeld points to his time working under Danny Meyer at Eleven Madison Park as a key influence. There, he saw how Meyer challenged assumptions about Madison Square Park, helping establish the park as a viable destination and ultimately launching the first Shake Shack location nearby. The lesson, Nayfeld suggests, was that investing in an overlooked area can reshape how a city gathers and dines.

Via Aurelia, however, is not a casual play. It reflects Nayfeld’s interpretation of Tuscan cooking, shaped by the region’s seasonal diversity and filtered through the Bay Area’s ingredient-driven approach.

The tasting menu features dishes inspired by the chef’s travels throughout Tuscany, including a bistecca contrafileto with forelle pear, Brussels sprouts, honeynut squash, and walnut. Sformato, a savory custard, shifts with the seasons, from sunchokes and porcini to green garlic and celery root, while handmade pastas such as pici and tortelli anchor the menu. Lobster with citrus and fennel adds a coastal through line. The wine list leans heavily on Tuscany, with Italian spirits anchoring the bar program. Taken together, it stands as one of the city’s most ambitious recent openings.

“When we decided to take this on, it was an exciting, but risky venture in the city,” Nayfeld says. “Because you’re effectively building a neighborhood.”

At Mission Rock, Via Aurelia is part of a broader waterfront canvas that is beginning to reshape San Francisco’s dining landscape. The mix of tenants, from casual concepts to more refined destinations, reflects a shared investment in the area’s future. What ties them together is a belief that Mission Rock is not just another development, but a defining next chapter for dining and entertainment in the city.

The Chef

David Nayfeld is the executive chef and co-owner of Che Fico in San Francisco, where he merges California’s seasonal bounty with Italian traditions and his family’s Jewish-Roman roots. With a pedigree honed in Michelin-starred kitchens and a passion for community advocacy, Nayfeld’s approach blends bold flavors, refined techniques, and a deep sense of purpose.

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